Articles

We hear a lot about bullying and harassment these days, especially when it involves cyber bullying using social media. We also know the devastating effects that may result from excessive bullying. As the victim of workplace harassment, I know first ...

Victim #1 - The Patient - (who is victimized twice)
The patient is victimized by his/her insurance benefits sometimes being maxed out. If a patient realizes that something is wrong with their insurance benefit entitlement and it is the result of w ...

The Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) is a that law establishes minimum employer obligations and employee rights with respect to rates of pay, hours of work and overtime, vacations, public holidays, leaves of absence and more. Every province has s ...

Dental hygienists have a strong relationship with your patients and although there is an abundance of hygienists who are looking for jobs, it is important that dentists don't take for granted the value of the patient- hygienist relationship. In most ...

Everyone can make a difference and create memories for your patients to keep them coming back. Put your personal signature on everything that you do. Today, think about something that you can do for your patients to make them feel special to keep the ...

Do you go to your hairdresser or grocery store and leave without paying? Does any business do this?
Collecting money at the time of service is mandatory to keep your business running. All of your team members needs to be on board with this concept ...

Accounting systems and financial statements provide you with valuable information about the financial health of your practice. It is important to know what the numbers mean, how they affect your practice and what you can do to make improvements .Numb ...

Interference
Insurance companies will use many different tactics to slow the payment of the claim and to prevent the claim be paid at all. The psychology behind the predetermination process is such that if the patient has to wait for four to six w ...

To survive and thrive in dentistry, your practice needs to be dynamic and provide consistency of service to your patients. Implementing Standard Operating Policies and Procedures (SOPS) will provide consistency and protect your office in an ever cha ...

Have you tried being in two places at the same time? Running an efficient practice, while you are providing dental services is challenging, to say the least. It's important to have the right business systems in place that are sustainable and easy to ...

It's that time of year to make New Year's resolutions, regardless of whether or not we intend to keep them. Why not try to make resolutions for your practice that are easy to keep. If you have difficulty making practical resolutions that result in ma ...

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ( AODA) is a law in Ontario that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them. Recognizing the history of discrimination against persons with disabiliti ...

Employment Standards Officers travel all over the province to inspect workplaces.
These inspections make sure employers are complying with their responsibilities under the Provincial Employment Standards Act. Officers focus on standards such as:
...

Studies suggest that only 4% of patients will complain, and 96% of patients may never tell you if there is a problem. Research suggests that unhappy patients don’t bother to complain if they are unhappy, they just don’t come back. It takes co ...

Why is cash flow so important to dental offices? You need to have money in the bank to pay the bills, including payroll. Collecting the fees for the services that you have rendered must be done at the time of service. After all, you have performed th ...

Standardized daily operating policies and procedures help your dental team to align production goals with the daily activities that support the goals. They provide structure and support for the day to day activities as well as training guidelines for ...

Protecting Workers Who Work Alone
>From time to time, dental office staff may find themselves working on their own, for example a receptionist who stays late to fill the schedule or a continuing care coordinator who makes most of the calls during ...

Dentistry is a business and in order to continue to make it sustainable long term, there are bills to be paid and livelihoods to be protected. Dentists certainly have to protect their own income, but something that isn't always discussed, is that the ...

Do you need a Certified Health and Safety Representative or a Joint Health and Safety Committee
Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) have an important role in an organization's health and safety program. The main purpose of JHSCs is to en ...

Is Your Practice in Maximum Value Position?
Your practice value is worth more than just numbers, it represents your life's work. Your practice should always be in a maximum value position so you are prepared for planned or unexpected events tha ...

Is Your Dental Office Ready for the Ministry of Labour Health and Safety Inspection Blitzes?
(As if there isn't enough to think about!)
The Ministry of Labour is conducting Health and Safety Inspection Blitzes across Ontario and targeting the h ...

By now, most dentists and denturists have read the story that was reported on CTV news about a Burlington dental office being temporarily closed down by Public Health due to sterilization concerns. Letters were sent to the patients encouraging them ...

Is Committing Insurance Fraud Helping or Harming Your Patients
Based on the calls that I receive from doctors , as well as analysis of my current and past client base, I have discovered that approximately 50% of dentists who have contacted me have ...

By now, dental offices likely have their policy regarding workplace violence posted on the Health and Safety board, reviewing it annually. An important part of your health and safety program is performing a workplace risk assessment that identifies t ...

How do dentists connect with their employees?. One easy way to stay connected and keep the lines of communication open is to conduct daily starters. Hold daily morning huddles at the same time every morning to ensure team communication and active g ...

The passing of Bill 148, has made changes to the Employment Standards Act and increased your staff costs. The short title of the new Act is the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. Changes in the new act include increase of the minimum wage to ...

Dental employers may think that hiring independent contractors is easier than hiring an employee and less expensive. Although it may seem like a good idea, the risks are very high and you can take a big hit if you do something wrong.
Independent co ...

It's that time of year again when patients are cancelling appointments due to illness and staff are calling in sick. When your employee comes to work sick, she can infect the rest of the team by lunch time. It is important to have a long-term plan t ...

Is Committing Insurance Fraud Helping or Harming Your Patients
Based on the calls that I receive from doctors , as well as analysis of my current and past client base, I have discovered that approximately 50% of dentists who have contacted me have ...

Your office may have already received a letter from the Ministry of Labour that states it is proactively inspecting professional offices on April 1, 2015. The Ministry inspector will be looking for any contraventions of the Employment Standards Act ...

There are many dental employers who mistakenly believe that by providing a new Employee Handbook and a signed acknowledgement form is the same as a new employee-employer contract or agreement. Dentists should realize that, although the employee han ...

Stop Recommending Treatment and Start Prescribing Dental Care
When you make a recommendation it provides your patients with a choice. It may be what you recommend, but the patient doesn't have to follow through with it. If you are recommending treat ...

Do you need a Certified Health and Safety Representative or a Joint Health and Safety Committee
Do you need a Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) in your dental office? The answer is that it depends on the number of employees that are in y ...

In any emergency or business interruption, the dentist has a responsibility to ensure the safety of his/her employees, patients and the public. Dental offices need to be prepared to manage emergencies and business interruptions to minimize loss and i ...

Do you remember fire drills in school? Compliance with the Ministry of Labour's Health and Safety Standards includes having an evacuation plan and it must be practiced. Hopefully an emergency situation won't occur in your office, but you need to be p ...

How do dentists connect with their employees in dental offices?. One easy way to stay connected and keep the lines of communication open is to conduct daily (starters). Hold daily morning huddles at the same time every morning to ensure team commun ...

Is Your Dental Office Compliant with the Canadian Anti-spam Legislation (CASL) - You have until July 1, 2017 Effective July 1, 2014, a legislation came into effect. It is the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). The CASL creates a set of specific ...

Is your Business Prepared for a Business Interruption Due to a Pandemic?
Every day we are hearing more about the spread of the Ebola Virus and Enterovirus D-68. You may not think that a pandemic will affect your business, but it is better to hope fo ...

Accurate inventory control is essential to managing and controlling your overhead expenses. You need to have a control system that is maintained and updated at all times. The budget for clinical consumable supplies (excluding lab) should not exce ...

All businesses are required to be compliant with accessibility standards to accommodate your patients who have disabilities. The Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, AODA, is a law in Ontario that allows the government to develop specifi ...

Is Committing Insurance Fraud Helping or Harming Your Patients
Based on the calls that I receive from doctors , as well as analysis of my current and past client base, I have discovered that approximately 50% of dentists who have contacted me have e ...

Tell stories
There’s a tendency amongst environmentalists to rely a little too much on data and science. That’s crucial, but let the evidence be the base and start with a story.
People respond to stories, not data. A great example of this is ...

Dr. Jonathon Everett
Any time you make a hiring decision, it has the potential to have a major impact on your practice as a whole. Your new hire will be seeing patients and can help you boost your income, grow your practice, or even transition ...

During the next several weeks, DOCS will be providing you with tips on how to interact and communicate with patients who have specific disabilities. We recommend that you print each email and add this training to your regular staff meetings.&nb ...

Mental health disabilities are not as visible as many other types of disabilities. you may not know that your patient has a mental health disability unless you are informed of it. Examples of mental health disabilities include schizophrenia, ...

Today’s dental patients are much more sophisticated about how much they know about dentistry and how they make decisions about their dental health. With dental offices popping up practically on every corner, it’s not the billboards, bells and ...

~~Effective July 1, 2014, there is another new legislation that has a direct affect on dental offices. It is the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). The CASL creates a new set of specific rules for email communications and marketing. T ...

One of the biggest challenges that plagues most dental offices is downtime in the hygiene schedule. Even now when there is increased access to contact patients through email, text messages, holes may still remain in the hygiene schedule. ...

Total Recalls
Hygiene coordinators do not have an easy job. It's tough calling people and constantly facing the apathy of patients who don't value hygiene appointments, because after all, it's just a cleaning, it can wait! If you continue doing th ...

A good manager helps people do their best. But that’s hard to achieve if employees, for whatever reason, feel anxious in the workplace--more worried about surviving than thriving. Even at the best dental offices, you can’t eliminate unc ...

Why is cash flow so important to dental offices? You need to have money in the bank to pay the bills, including payroll. Collecting the fees for the services that you have rendered must be done at the time of service. Afte ...

Is Committing Insurance Fraud Helping or Harming Your Patients
Based on the calls that I receive from doctors , as well as analysis of my current and past client base, I have discovered that approximately 50% of dentists who have contacted me ...

Dental hygienists have a strong relationship with your patients and although there is an abundance of hygienists who are looking for jobs, it is important that dentists don't take for granted the value of the patient- hygienist relationship.&nbsp ...

Do you have an X-ray Safety Policy and Procedure in place? I was recently asked if it is necessary to wear x-rays dosimeters. The person who asked me the question was told that it is recommended but not mandatory to wear a dosimeter and t ...

Do you need a Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs) in your dental office? The answer is that it depends on the number of employees that are in your office. If you have 4 employees or less, you do not require a Health and S ...

I am looking forward to speaking at the University of Mississippi Medical Centre. The subject is Leap Off Your Business Plateau and Soar to New Heights - A Three Step Approach to Grow Your Dental Practice in a Challenging Economy.
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